


Sleepy Flirting

by Scarlet_Claws



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced BDSM, Pining, Rebirth, Role Reversal, Whips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26647882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlet_Claws/pseuds/Scarlet_Claws
Summary: Hypnos likes talking with Megaera at every turn he gets, curtesy to his not-so-discreet crush on her. She still hasn’t whipped him, for some reason.
Relationships: Hypnos/Megaera (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 116





	Sleepy Flirting

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuse for this ship, only good reasons.

“Oh! Oh—“ sputtered Hypnos. He scrambled to catch his notepad again. “Meg! Oh, wow, Zag got you this time, didn’t he?”

Megaera, that had seemed of a mind to head straight for the lounge, stopped and looked back at the scribe over her shoulder. She didn’t say a thing, which he took as an invitation to continue his rambling.

“He certainly is getting better at it, although I would have never guessed that he would get past you, you know, as you’re so...” he trailed off. He knew better than to finish his sentence when Megaera was narrowing her eyes at him like that. “Oh well, he’s bound to come back eventually, and then you can get him next time. Have you tried hitting him with that whip of yours?”

“Take a guess.”

“Well, I suppose you did.”

He quickly scribbled a note of her passage on his pad. Name, date of death, cause of death. He knew someone that wasn’t going to be happy when he was going to review that register. In fact, he didn’t seem very happy to have caught sight of Megaera, seated as he was in his throne across the room. But again, when was Hades happy?

“Megaera,” he said. “I thought I told you to not let him through.”

“Tch,” she said. She stepped forth, past Hypnos and the queue of people waiting for an audience with the Lord of the Dead. “He’s been receiving help.”

“Help?” repeated Hades. “From who?”

“The Olympians caught wind of his escape. They’ve been giving him their blessings.”

“The _Olympians_?” He slammed his fist on his desk. “First, he gets in his head that he can get out of here, and then my own family starts interfering with my business. Is this some sort of joke?”

“I wish.”

“As for you Megaera, this is no excuse for your failure. Perhaps you are not suited for handling this job alone. I’ll be calling upon your sisters if it continues.”

“Ouch,” muttered Hypnos.

Even from where he was standing, he could see that this was a harsh blow to Megaera’s ego. Her shoulders shook before she straightened them, but her fists remained clenched so tightly her grey knuckles became white.

“I’ll be expecting an improvement to your poor performance very soon,” said Hades. “Now go! And do not deceive me again.”

“Of course.”

She bowed, quickly, before she turned around to make her way to the lounging area. She walked with such purpose in her step that she went right through the shades of mortals that hung out around the palace, making them vanish for an instant. There was power in every single one of her movements. Her high ponytail swayed, and so did her hips. Hypnos was fascinated.

“Back to work,” said Hades. He seemed to be addressing no one in particular, but his piercing red eyes were drilling into Hypnos.

The latter didn’t answer, but he did nod. He knew better than to talk back to the Lord of the Dead. He didn’t have that willpower.

“Erm, lord Hypnos?”

Hypnos woke with a start. He had been reviewing his list in the lounge, and then... ah, he had been sleeping again. Taking two jobs – being himself and keeping track of the dead – was complicated sometimes.

“Lord Hypnos,” said Dusa. She was floating around his table, looking worried. “I need you to change seat, for a while, if that’s not a problem with you. I’m cleaning the lounge.”

“Ah— No, no, that is not a problem. I’ll move everything.”

He started to gather the many, many papers he had spread around the table. He needed an office or a desk of some sort, but no one was about to give him even _that_. At least he had gotten very good at keeping track of everything in his head. It has been a long time since he had done anything else.

“Thank you very much, sir,” she said. “I’m _so_ sorry to disturb you.”

“That’s not a problem. You keep doing the job that’s given to you and I keep doing mine, you know. Not a problem at all.”

He looked around, his arms full of papers and notes. He had dosed off for longer than he had intended; the occupants of the lounge were very different than when he had first entered it. Or, at least, he would have noticed if there was Megaera there, yet there she was, at the bar, sitting on a stool.

He floated in her direction.

“You’re awake,” she said.

Anyone else would have described her voice as a growl, but Hypnos knew that it was just the sound of her, so he chose to think that she was not dissatisfied with his presence. Besides, he rather liked her voice. Unafraid but with a pounding heart, he placed his charge on the counter and sat next to her.

“You don’t mind if I work here?” he asked her.

“I’m not in a mood to talk.”

“Aww, Zag got you again, didn’t he? Oh well, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even you. You know that nobody expects you to be perfect, right?”

“Say that to Lord Hades.”

“I don’t think he does himself. You know he just pushes people for the sake of it, when he can, so that they give the best of themselves.”

She adjusted her whip on the counter. This could be interpreted as a threat by some. Hypnos chose to ignore the warning. She’d never whip him here... right?

“You never part with that thing, huh?” he asked.

“It’s my duty.”

“You know, it never hurt anyone to take a break. Chill out, let out some steam and the likes. You should try it sometimes, it helps. Maybe that’s what you need.”

“Oh, I know what relaxes me all right.”

There was a smile on her lips but a dark look in her eyes. Hypnos shuddered to think about what she might be referring to, even he had a pretty good idea of what it might be.

“As long as you are taking care of yourself. And enjoying yourself. And not... loosing to Zag. That’s another one that could use some time to relax around here. Everyone’s either dead or immortal, I never understood why he’s rushing all the time.”

“The last person I want to hear about right now is Zag.”

“Oh, right. That’s understandable. I won’t mention him again if that is the case.”

For once, the ever-talkative Hypnos remained quiet, pondering. He thought of Megaera and what he knew of her old relationship with Zagreus, of what they had become, and wondered how she truly felt about him. Just thinking that she might be regretting the times where things were simpler between them awoke unusual but vicious jealousy in him. He justified it by telling himself that Zagreus didn’t know how good he had it before, and that he would never know.

For someone that slept so much, Hypnos’ thoughts went quickly when he was awake, and the time he spent thinking only lasted a few seconds. And so, when he spoke again, he seemed to be leagues ahead in the conversations compared to where they had left it.

“You know Meg, it’s about time someone came around to treat you right. I, for one, think you deserve a lot more than what you get.”

He perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up. “And you would have what it takes for that?”

“What— Me?” He sputtered. “I don’t think— Well, I do think that, but I would never— I don’t think that I can try— Can I try? I would never dare— I would _never_ dare to insinuate that I would have what it takes. You’re the one that can— I mean, if you decide— You should choose that person I just mentioned, that isn’t me, I didn’t mean that it would be _me_.”

“Hypnos.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

“Right. Yes. I’ll do just that, right away. I got some work to do, you know. I didn’t mean to distract you for too long.”

“Tch.”

“But yes, shutting up, shutting up from this moment onward. You have my word.” He had lost his stylus. A good thing he could summon it into his hand from wherever it was where he had left it – probably under a table. “As you can see, I am very busy.”

“And so am I. I best be on my way.” She emptied her cup and stood up.

“See you around, Meg!” He turned around to watch her leave. “Until next time. You know where to find me.”

She stopped in her tracks. “Hopefully they will be no next time.”

“Oh, did I do something to anger— Oh! You mean that you will not let Zag best you again! Right. Well, I hope you’re right, and I believe in you. Good luck to you out there, all right? Not that you need it, but— I wish you all the best, Meg. Take care.”

She seemed to hesitate. She didn’t turn back to him as she spoke.

“Hypnos, you are a coward.”

And she left.

“What was that for?” said Hypnos in a half-voice. “I did something?”

“Ah!” cried Hypnos. Here went his pad again. He flailed to catch it. “Wel-Welcome to the House of Hades! Please step in the line— Oh! Meg, you’re back!”

Surprisingly, Megaera stopped without being prompted. She sent him a disdainful look.

“You shouldn’t be sleeping on the job. This is no way to greet our guests. One of those days, Lord Hades will ask me to punish you for that.”

“Oh, I assure you that I am quite capable of fulfilling my job, except for some, erm, _minor_ delays. What counts is that I eventually get it done, and that I get it done right—“ He realized that the reason with Megaera was standing in front of him – instead of Zagreus – was probably because she had been unable to complete _her_ job. He pipped up on the subject. “Anyway, time to do my part. Date... time...” he wrote that down, “and cause of death. Zag _again_? Wow, he’s getting better at this, isn’t he? Have you tried summoning more shades to corner him?”

“Hypnos.”

“Yes?”

“Tell me one more time how I should be fighting my fights and I’ll whip you. Do you want that?”

“Yes! I mean— Yes, understood, and _no,_ no, I do not want that. I definitely do not want that. That would be a terrible thing. I’ll keep it in mind not to tell you about it and I won’t do it again. I’ll make note of that, you can count on it.” He started to shuffle through the papers on his pad to find the one where he kept his notes.

He did find it. There were a few things on it, including a Megaera section. That... was a totally normal thing to have! She was so unpredictable that it was best to keep notes. Never mind that most of the space there was a drawing of her sending a kiss out – she never did it, so Hypnos had to imagine what it looked like himself.

She’d probably be mad if she saw that. He hid it quickly, less she saw it by accident.

“Is something the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong here, just... doing my job. I think Lord Hades wishes to speak with you?”

“What do gain from speaking with incompetents?” said Hades, his voice thundering across the vast hall. 

“Oh, well, maybe not,” squeaked Hypnos. “Well rest assured that _I_ don’t think that you are incompetent, certainly not – that he bested you speaks more of how far he’s come rather than any sort of decline. You look as, erm—“ He thought of many adjectives. Splendid, gorgeous, radiant, and lovely certainly wouldn’t do. “As _intimidating_ as ever. I’m certain you gave it your all, you know? You deserve a rest.”

“Hrm. You called it relaxation last time.” She passed a hand over her scaly whip. “Maybe I should try that. I’d ask you to join me but you’re a little _too_ relaxed as it is.”

“What? With me?” He glanced at her whip. He very much wanted that, or maybe not at all, depending on what she really meant. What did she mean? “I’m always, erm, happy to help you with anything Meg, anything I can be of service. Unless it’s giving you advice on how you should fight. You’ve made it crystal clear that you don’t want that, and I haven’t forgotten it, and I will _not_ forget it.”

“You talk too much.” She made grabbed the throng of her whip and pulled it. It made a very nice snapping sound – or at least Hypnos thought it sounded nice. He was probably the only one in all of the Underworld that thought that and he didn’t really know what to make of it. “I’d make you shut up if you were off duty.”

“I can shut up if you’d like,” said Hypnos in a tiny voice, clutching his pad close to his chest.

“Megaera, do not distract employees that are more _effective_ than you,” said Hades.

“Tch. See you around, Hypnos,” said Megaera. She bowed briefly to Hades. “My Lord.”

She turned around, her high heels clicking on the waxed surface of the great hall of the House of Hades, towards the lounge again. Hypnos tried his best to tear his eyes off her before she disappeared from his sight but failed. At least he didn’t lean to the side to try and follow her progression this time.

Hades was wrong when he had insinuated that she was ineffective: she had succeeded at shutting Hypnos so completely that wen Zagreus passed through, barely a few minutes later, Hypnos didn’t say much of anything until the son of Hades himself turned to him, surprised that he had not heard his usual comment.

“Everything all right, Hypnos?”

“Everything? Everything’s _fine_ ,” said Hypnos. “So, a Skull-Crusher this time? Have you tried moving out of the way?”

“No, but I’ll try it next time,” said Zagreus, before growing bored with this conversation.

He then went to pester his father, leaving Hypnos to his thoughts. And there was only one thing in them, all the while he wrote down the names of the dead that weren’t Megaera.

“Huh?” said Hypnos, raising his head. He had been sleeping in the lounge again, although he didn’t quite know what had woken him up this time.

To his surprise, he wasn’t alone. To his astonishment, it was Megaera herself. In her hand was a half-full glass, meaning that she had been there for a while at least. Had she been watching him while he slept?

“Meg!” he said. Wait, maybe that sounded a little too happy for her liking.

“The other tables were full.”

They weren’t now, he noticed, yet she was still there. He remained cautious. He stretched, then looked for his stylus, not to avail, so he summoned it in his hand. He had been reviewing the registers before handing them to Hades, right. He resumed his work where he had left it, but he kept sending side glances to Megaera. It was her, how could he not? But otherwise, he didn’t address her until she did.

“Aren’t you going to run your mouth saying pointless things this time?” she asked.

“Well, last time you made it very clear that I should shut up. I’m doing just that.”

Suddenly the bottom of her glass seemed very interesting. She made it spin, watching him for a few seconds. Hypnos couldn’t tear his eyes from her hands. They were strong hands. He wondered how they would feel. They were probably rough from handling that whip of hers, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Maybe this time I wouldn’t mind hearing you talk,” she said after a long pause.

“Pardon? As in, me talking to you? I mean, if you don’t mind me talking to you, I would gladly do that, but I don’t want...” he trailed off. Then finished, but quietly, “well I don’t want to make you undisposed. Or mad.”

She glanced his way but didn’t answer. She put her glass down.

“You know, perhaps there are some positive points to being here more often,” she said.

“Oh! I’m glad to hear that. I do enjoy it when you are around. Well, I mean— The shades are more disciplined, and everything just runs a little smoother just at the sight of you. I know I feel motivated. And you? What do you like about staying around the House of Hades?”

“Getting to know you.”

He wasn’t sure he had understood, but asking might break the illusion. He remained with his mouth agape, running through the possibilities in his mind. Surely, she had said _anything else_ but that. She’d kill him if she knew he’d even consider the possibility that she might have said it.

“My offer of relaxing together still stands,” she said. “If you feel courageous enough, that is. But if you still want to be a coward, I can wait.” She tilted her head, a cruel smirk on her lips. “I got all the time in the world.”

“Oh.” She had meant it. She really had.

“But not today.” She emptied her glass in one swing. “I got to go. Make sure you get all your work done before dropping by my room.”

She left. Hypnos was to dumbstruck to tell her goodbye. She looked over her shoulder as she left the room and their eyes met. She was smirking. If he wasn’t immortal, Hypnos would swear that he would have gotten a heart attack on the spot. 

He got back to work. Eventually. But for some reason he couldn't stop smiling, and he didn't fall asleep. 


End file.
